Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a meeting with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at a hotel in the USA. Photo: CA Press Wing

NEW YORK, Sept 25, 2025 (BSS) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has proposed establishing an Italy-Bangladesh Business Forum aimed at promoting her country's investment in Bangladesh. 

She made the proposal during a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at a hotel here in the USA on Wednesday (local time) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Welcoming the proposal, Prof Yunus said that while the two countries share longstanding ties, there remains significant potential to expand trade and investment cooperation.

The leaders also discussed a wide range of issues, including the upcoming general election in Bangladesh, migration challenges, the Rohingya refugee crisis, and a possible visit by Prime Minister Meloni to Bangladesh in December.

On the issue of migration, the Italian Prime Minister expressed her country's willingness to engage constructively with Dhaka to ensure safe migration pathways that would benefit both nations.

She underscored the need for stronger measures to combat human trafficking, which has claimed the lives of hundreds of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.

In response, Prof Yunus stated that the Bangladeshi interim government has already adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward human trafficking and has implemented several initiatives to ensure safer migration routes for Bangladeshi citizens.

"We need more global efforts to prevent human smuggling," Prof Yunus emphasized.

Turning to political transition in Bangladesh, he said the country is on track to hold general elections in February next year, after which he plans to return to his previous role.

Meloni commended Professor Yunus's leadership over the past 14 months as the head of the interim government and assured him that Italy would advocate within the European Union to support Bangladesh in holding a free and fair election.

The two leaders also exchanged views on the ongoing Rohingya crisis. 

Prof Yunus called for increased international support for over one million Rohingyas currently sheltered in Bangladesh.

In response, Meloni pledged to send a high-level delegation to next week's international conference on the crisis at UN headquarters.

Bangladesh's Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, and SDG Affairs Principal Coordinator Lamiya Morshed were also present at the meeting.